A cyclist was airlifted to hospital after colliding with this car on the Way of the Roses on SaturdayNorth Yorkshire Police

The crash site on Greenhow HillNorth Yorkshire Police

Police are urging cyclists to take care on Britain’s new Way of the Roses coast-to-coast cycle route. Three riders have been injured in accidents with cars since the start of the year on a 1.2km stretch near Pateley Bridge in North Yorkshire.

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Officers say the B6265 at Greenhow Hill – which slopes steeply downhill through a series of winding bends – is particularly precarious when wet. Two riders have been taken to hospital by air ambulance, with the latest incident occurring on Saturday (8 October).

On that occasion, a 31-year-old from Cheshire collided head-on with a Volkswagen car and suffered “substantial” injuries to his shoulder, back, neck and leg. Police describe his condition as “serious but not life-threatening”.

Acting Inspector Robert Thorpe, of North Yorkshire Police, told BikeRadar that all three accidents were believed to have been caused by the cyclists, not the motorists. He said he’d been in touch with Sustrans and they’d agreed to add a warning to their map of the route. “It’s a fantastic route but people need to take care on this descent,” he said.